Jodie Turner-Smith’s Mother Aniseya Leads a New Coven of Force Witches in ‘The Acolyte’ Episode 3

The Acolyte Episode 3 “Destiny” takes Star Wars fans even further back in the timeline than we’ve been before. The Disney+ show flashes back sixteen years to reveal what happened on the fateful day that Mae (Amandla Stenberg) and Osha (also Amandla Stenberg) were separated. As little girls, played by Leah and Lauren Brady, the twins lived on the remote world of Brendok, raised by a coven of Force-sensitive witches attempting to rebuild their culture after being exiled by the Jedi. Young Mae is eager to join her mothers’ coven, in a ceremony known as “ascension.” Young Osha, on the other hand, dreams of leaving Brendok to see what else there is in the galaxy. Their idyllic childhood is destroyed forever by the arrival of four Jedi: Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss), Sol (Lee Jung-Jae), Kelnacca (Joonas Suotamo) and Torbin (Dean-Charles Chapman).

Only one person is strong enough, compelling enough, and charming enough to broker an uneasy peace between the coven of witches and the Jedi: Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith). From the moment she appears in The Acolyte, Mother Aniseya is a beacon of warmth and wisdom. She spoils her little girls, but she also runs them through rigorous training.

The coven of witches in The Acolyte is a group we haven’t met before. Like the Nightsisters of Dathomir, they are Force-sensitive, yet at odds with the Jedi. However, unlike the Nightsisters, Mother Aniseya’s coven sees the mysterious energy binding the universe together not as a Force, and certainly not a power divided into Dark and Light sides, but a “Thread.” As she advises Osha later in the episode, her destiny is not determined by “an anonymous Force.” If Osha wants to pull the Thread and go her own way, she should do so.

So what are the witches in The Acolyte? We don’t have an exact name for them yet. Their fondness for circles and eclipses and doting on their beloved (and rare) children means, again, they’re not Nightsisters. They’re one of the many hitherto unexplored Force groups in the galaxy.

“There’s a lot of characters in the Star Wars Universe who traverse both the Light and the Dark,” The Acolyte star Amandla Stenberg told Decider during a recent intervew. “There’s Gray Jedi, there’s an entire Gray Jedi code.”

“And there are Force users who use it in a different manner.” Obviously the coven falls under this grouping.

Jodie Turner-Smith is a brilliant choice for Mother Aniseya. The British actress and model not only brings a stunning, statuesque beauty to every role, but there’s a depth to her that is indelibly unique. Because of this, Mother Aniseya doesn’t come across as a villain or hero, but enigmatic and wise woman worth listening to.